EEROLA, TAPIO

Professional Profile: Tapio Eerola

Judging Credentials

Tapio Eerola, born 1957 and based in Turenki, Finland, has been a licensed FCI judge since 2 November 1993 — an all-breed and Best in Show judge authorized across all ten FCI groups, under the Suomen Kennelliitto - Finska Kennelklubben. He officiated at the World Dog Show 2025 and conducts assessments in seven languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, and Estonian.

Breeding — Kennel "Hovarian"

Since 1987, Eerola has bred Hovawarts together with Kaija Eerola and Tiia Okkonen under the kennel prefix "Hovarian" — a breeding program recognized with the Finnish Kennel Club's Vuolasvirta prize for merited Hovawart breeding. The same kennel has also bred Cairn Terriers, Karelian Bear Dogs, and one Affenpinscher.

Roles & Publications

Eerola has chaired the Finnish Hovawart Club's Breeding Committee since the 1980s, serves as Vice Chair of the International Hovawart Federation (IHF), and is a qualified Mental Test judge. He is also the long-time Chief Editor of the Finnish Kennel Club's membership magazine, Koiramme, and has authored two books on Finnish dog breeds: "Suomen Koirarodut" and "Suomalaiset koirarodut."